McDonald: Heroes Hall Breaks Ground at OC Fairgrounds

ByBobby McDonald |March 16, 2016

Heroes Hall Veterans Museum “Through the Eyes of Veterans” at the OC Fair & Event Center inaugurated its official groundbreaking on March 16, featuring Orange County veterans from World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan.

What better way to kickoff telling the stories of Orange County veterans as part of the educational programs offered at the OC Fair and Event Center and a great opportunity for the community to see and hear from those that we will be celebrating in the museum with their stories. Heroes Hall is dedicated to the contributions and sacrifices of Orange County veterans.

It also served as an exit point for returning service members, with over 72,000 combat returnees processed there in the mid-1940s, according to the historical society.

The Board of Directors of the OC Fair & Event Center voted unanimously to allocate $3.8 million toward the Heroes Hall project. These funds will be used to preserve the building, construct the surrounding grounds and install initial exhibits. In addition, the Heroes Hall Veterans Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was formed to conduct fundraising activities and process donations from the public for the ongoing programming and operation of Heroes Hall. For more information about the project, visit www.ocfair.com/heroeshall.

The finished exhibit will feature 4,800 square feet of exhibit, office and archival space on over 12,000 square feet of land which will include veteran’s memorials, plaques, gardens and an outdoor mini-amphitheatre. Guests will be able to access Heroes Hall both from the OC Fair & Event Center parking lot and from inside the OC Fair.

With Heroes Hall, finally veterans will have a “home” for our stories to be told and passed down in one of the most imaginative and interactive ways possible.

What a fitting testament and tribute to Heroes Hall and our Orange County veterans, being represented at this groundbreaking by 6 of our brave warriors, who epitomize the spirit, passion and purpose of Heroes Hall.

Bobby McDonald, United States Navy Vietnam Veteran, Orange County Veterans Advisory Council Chair and Heroes Hall Veterans Foundation Member

Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue please contact Voice of OC Involvement Editor Theresa Sears at TSears@voiceofoc.org

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This month, Orange County’s state fairgrounds in Costa Mesa formally opened a memorial to agricultural workers – a far cry from where the agency stood nearly a decade ago when fair board members led the charge to privatize what they termed “an underutilized asset.”

ByNick Berardino |April 25, 2016

OC Fair and Events Center Vice Chair Nick Berardino invites Orange County to visit the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa this morning at 8:30 a.m. to watch a historic Army barracks building being moved into place as a centerpiece for Heroes Hall military museum.